Porter Putnam Day being finalized
Post on: 2011-11-02 By: admin
The climax of the city of Porterville’s observance of its Sesquicentennial will occur on Saturday, Oct. 22, with Royal Porter Putnam Day, a time to honor the city’s founder and its rich history.
Royal Porter Putnam founded Porterville in 1861, opening the first store in what would later become the city of Porterville. That store was basically located where the old Palace Hotel now sits at Main Street and Oak Avenue.
Prior to Putnam building his store, Porterville was just a crossing on the Tule River. From that first store has grown Porterville to where today it is one of the most populace towns this is not located along a major highway.
Porter Putnam Day will be filled with fun, entertainment, recognitions and historical demonstrations.
It will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Main Street between Harrison and Putnam avenues, with many activities planned for Centennial Park.
One of the highlights of the day will be a reenactment of the stage and its strongbox of valuables arriving in town, complete with a shootout at high noon in front of City Hall.
Once the strongbox is delivered, residents will be able to get one of the many souvenir wooden coins highlighting the city’s Sesquicentennial year.
“We had a shootout for our Pioneer Days celebration and it was really fun,” said committee co-chair Rick Elkins. “This one will be more fun as residents will be able to get the last of the souvenir coins. Some people still have a few of those similar coins from the Centennial Celebration of 1961,” he added.
The reenactment will be done by the Jackass Mail Run committee that has been so supportive of the Sesquicentennial.
Also slated for that day will be Indian dancers and drummers from the Tule River Reservation, local mariachi and folkloric dancers and the popular band Latin Friend, and of course local historian Bill Horst setting off the historic Centennial cannon.Another highlight will be the final judging of pioneer costumes and Sesquicentennial beards.
Three $80 cash prizes will be given to the best beards — a first place each for full face, van dykes (partial beard) and mustaches.
Costume judging will be broken down by age group. For toddlers 3 years and younger, gift prizes will be awarded to first and second place. For those 4-7 years old, a first prize of $50 and a second prize of $33 will be given, with the same prizes awarded for age groups 8-15 and 16 years and older.
In addition, there will be a walking tour of downtown and its history, a beer garden offered by the Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge and tours of the Congregational Church and a concert at the church at 7:30 that night.
Among the many exhibits will be one from the Buffalo Soldiers and another by the Dutch Oven Cookers.
The city of Porterville Fire Department will hold an open house that day as part of its Fire Safety observance during the month of October.
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